The Most Popular SteelTrak Chip Conveyor for General Industrial Use
Most machine shops don’t need the heaviest or most specialized chip conveyor on the market. They need a reliable, economical 2½” pitch conveyor that handles everyday CNC chips, turnings, and scrap without creating maintenance headaches or blowing the equipment budget. That’s exactly what the SteelTrak™ 721 delivers. It’s NLECO’s bestselling hinged steel belt conveyor for a reason: proven construction, flexible configuration options, and a price point that makes it the standard choice for shops of every size.
The Model 724 is the liquid-tight version for machining operations where chips are mixed with coolant. Both models share the same belt, frame, sprockets, and drive—the only difference is the sealed bottom pan on the 724.
Built for Long-Term, Low-Maintenance Operation
The 721/724 uses a 2½” pitch hinged steel belt with 1⅜” high cleats on 12½” centers and 1½” high sidewings. The 1½” diameter rollers provide smooth belt travel, and TruTrak flanged rollers are available as an option to eliminate the side-to-side belt sway that wears down frames, axles, and sidewings on conventional conveyors. Outside sidebars are required on belts wider than 18″ and optional for narrower widths.
The frame is 8½” deep, formed from 12-gauge steel with a medium blue standard paint finish. The 1-7/16″ diameter drive shaft is the standard-duty size in the SteelTrak lineup—appropriately sized for the majority of CNC machining, turning, and light to medium stamping applications. The 6-tooth sprocket with a 5″ pitch diameter provides reliable belt engagement at the standard speed of 30 FPM. The standard drive is ½ HP (230/460V, 3-phase, 60 Hz, TEFC), top mount on the right side.
Standard belt widths include 6″, 8″, 12″, 18″, 24″, 30″, and 36″ with custom widths available. Conveyor lengths depend on the application. Standard curves include 30, 45, and 60 degrees. Z-shape, L-shape, and horizontal configurations are available.
When the Standard 721 Is the Right Choice
The 721 is the right starting point for the majority of chip conveyor applications in general machine shops, CNC departments, job shops, and light to medium production environments. If your machines produce standard steel, cast iron, brass, or aluminum chips and turnings at moderate volumes, and the conveyor run length and incline don’t demand a heavy drive shaft, the 721 covers the application at the lowest cost in the SteelTrak 2½” pitch family.
Choose the 721 when the conveyor serves a single machine or a small group of machines, when the scrap is standard machining chips rather than heavy stampings or castings, when the run length and incline are within standard-duty range, and when the primary requirement is dependable daily operation at an economical price.
When to Step Up to the 720
If the application requires a longer conveyor run, steeper incline under heavier load, or a motor larger than ½ HP, the Model 720 offers the same conveyor with a heavier 1-11/16″ drive shaft. The 720 supports higher horsepower motors and greater belt loads. If you’re unsure which drive shaft size your application needs, Barron Equipment can evaluate the run length, belt width, scrap weight, and incline angle to determine whether the standard 721 or the heavy-duty 720 is the right fit.
721 (Open Frame) vs. 724 (Liquid-Tight)
The Model 721 is the open frame version for dry or minimally wet chip applications. The Model 724 adds a liquid-tight bottom pan that contains coolant during transport, preventing floor contamination and supporting coolant recovery. Additional liquid-tight options for the 724 include marine bearings, bolt-on bottom pans, drain plugs, bottom pan drain holes, and quench tanks for hot-part cooling.
If your CNC machines run with flood coolant or water-soluble oil, the 724 is the appropriate configuration. If chips are dry or only lightly misted, the 721 provides the same performance at a lower cost.
Options and Accessories
The 721/724 supports the full SteelTrak accessory catalog: perforated aprons with 5/32″ holes for coolant drainage, pimpled belt surfaces for incline grip, radial sidewings for tighter sidewing-to-apron fit, impact bars (top or bottom mounted), recessed cleats, cut-back cleats, center land dividers, top covers, automatic chain oilers, access panels, side-mounted drive, custom infeed hoppers, discharge chutes, optional side rails, floor supports, castered floor supports with floor locks, and custom paint colors.
Where the 721/724 Fits in the SteelTrak Lineup
The SteelTrak family spans models from the 1½” mini pitch 715/716 through the 2½” pitch 721/724 and 720/723 up to the compact-frame 722/726 and tapered 727. The 721/724 is the core of the lineup—the model that handles the broadest range of applications at the best value. It sits between the mini pitch 715 (for finer chips and tighter spaces) and the heavy drive shaft 720 (for longer runs and heavier loads).